Island



(No Model.)

E. E. TAYLOR. CLOTHES LINE ELEVATOR.

Patnted July 14,1891.

E.E.T zor 'Hdiigsses THE NORRIS PEYERS co., ruurwm nm, wAsmmwN. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD E. TAYLOR, OF NEXVPORT, RHODE ISLAND.

CLOTH ES-LIN E ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,070, dated July 14, 1891.

Application filed March 23, 1891. Serial No. 386,126. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Newport and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Line Elevator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to laundry apparatus, and more especially to the devices employed for raising clothes-lines after the clothes have been hung thereon to dry; and the object of the invention is to provide certain improvements in devices of this character.

To this end it consists in the details of construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a general view of a small yard having a clothes-line arranged 1 therein and showing it supported by my improved apparatus, that part of the line in the foreground being raised, so that even a grown person can pass beneath the line and its clothes,'and that part in the background being lowered, so that even a small child can hang clothes thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the line-holder mounted on its base. Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged perspective view of the form of double hook which I preferably use, said double hook being a modification of the hook shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter L designates a clothes-line of any approved construction, and O are the clothes.

B B are bases or strips which are adapted to be secured to the buildings and to trees, although it will be understood that they may be fastened to posts or other objects, or may in fact be the posts themselves. Near the upper and lower ends of each base are studs S, projecting a short distance therefrom, the uppermost preferably carrying a grooved wheel G. These studs are connected by a vertical rod V, standing a short distance from the base.

H designates a hook, the rear end of whose body is bifurcated, so as to stand over the rod V, and in the rearmost extremity of this bifurcation is an anti-friction wheel F, traveling against the rear face of the rod. O is an operating-cord tied to said hook, or preferably passed through a hole therein andknotted, as at K, above and below, and this cord passes thence upwardly over the wheel G and downwardly in the form of a loop, a cleat or other fastening device D being secured to the post or base near the lowermost stud S, and to which this cord 0 may be detachably connected.

In some constructions of the device the vertical rod V may be replaced by a tightlystretched wire rope V and the grooved wheel G by a smooth eye, and in such cases I prefer to use the hook H. (Best seen in Fig. 3.) This hook has two eyes I in its body, one of which'travels on the vertical rope or rod, and

to the other of which the operating-cord 0 may be connected by passing it therethrough and knotting it above and below the eye; but the outer end of the hook is preferably double, as shown.

In operation the line L is stretched from hook to hook, to each of which itis attached by a loop or in any other convenient manner. The rods V are so arranged that their lower ends are within reach of a small child, While their upper ends are considerably above the head of the tallest person. The inner side of the operating-cord 0 being drawn upon, the line L is brought down to within reach and the clothes 0 are hung thereon, being secured by pins or other devices in the wellknown manner. The outer side of the operating-cord is then drawn upon, whereby the line is elevated until the hook H strikes the upper stud, when it will be obvious that the clothes are raised to such a height that even a tall person can easily pass beneath, as seen in the foreground of Fig. 1. The hook is held elevated by attaching the operating-cord to the fastening device D. The line L is of course tight enough so as not to sag appreciably between the hooks, but slack enough to permit any one of the hooks to be drawn down without interfering with the others; but if the yard is so small that this cannot be done two or more hooks must be pulled down simultaneously.

The double hook shown in Fig. 3 (or,'in fact, a double hook of a more expensive construction) is obviously for the purpose of receiving two ropes, and when this hook is made of a single piece of twisted wire soldered or otherwise secured at its contacting points it can be cheaply constructed and put upon the market.

hat is claimed as new is In a clothes-line-raising apparatus, the combination, with a vertical support and studs supporting the same, the uppermost stud having a wheel, of a hook consisting of a single piece of wire with a twisted body having two eyes and with hooked ends, one of said eyes sliding on said support, and a loop-shaped operating-cord passing through the other eye,

above and below which it is knotted, passing over said wheel, and hanging within reach of an operator, as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDXVARI) E. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES M. COTTRELL, EDWARD E. TAYLOR, J 1-. 

